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June 26th, 2008

Kiss Angelina? It’s a hard job but someone has to…

Posted by: Belinda Goldsmith

brangelina.jpgFilming love scenes with Angelina Jolie would be a dream job for millions of men around the world — but her co-star in “Wanted” is not one of them. James McAvoy told In Touch Weekly that kissing Jolie was “not very nice”.

“I can tell you what it was like to kiss her mcavoy.jpgon a film set: It was awkward, sweaty and not very nice,” said the Scottish actor. “There was angst involved in that, as always. I don’t think Brad Pitt felt threatened for one moment.”

Jolie and McAvoy both did find real love on the set –  Jolie with Brad Pitt when filming “Mr and Mrs Smith” and McAvoy met his wife Anne-Marie Duff when they played a couple on a BBC drama called “Shameless!”

  

June 24th, 2008

Dare to wear a “mankini” this summer?

Posted by: Belinda Goldsmith

borat.jpgmankini.jpgBlame Borat! The fictional reporter played by British comedian Sacha Baron Cohen made “mankinis,” or skimpy V-shaped thongs, famous in a publicity stunt at the Cannes film festival to promote his hit movie “Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan.”

It probably wasn’t British designer Alexander McQueen’s intention that his latest men’s beachwear on the catwalk in Milan prompted comparisons with Borat’s alarming lime-green creation, but perhaps it was inevitable.

June 23rd, 2008

Celine Dion tops poll for world’s worst cover version

Posted by: Belinda Goldsmith

celine.jpgCeline Dion has come top of a magazine poll on the world’s worst cover versions. Total Guitar magazine said the Canadian singer’s rendition of  AC/DC classic  “You Shook Me All Night Long” put her in the No. 1 slot of the list published in its July issue.

Dion never released the song as a single but performed what the magazine called the “offence” against music at a Las Vegas concert six years ago in a duet with Anastacia.

In second place was a Sugababes and Girls Aloud version of “Walk This Way” which was a huge hit for Aerosmith and rappers Run DMC. Third was Westlife’s version of Extreme’s “More Than Words.”

Will Young’s cover of The Doors’ ”Light My Fire” came fourth, while The Mike Flowers Pops’ reworking of “Wonderwall” by Oasis was ranked fifth.

Jimi Hendrix’s cover version of the Bob Dylan song “All Along the Watchtower” came top of the contrasting list of most successful cover versions. This was followed by The Beatles’ “Twist and Shout” which was first recorded by The Top Notes.

Guns N’ Roses version of the Wings’ song “Live and Let Die”, Nirvana’s “The Man Who Sold the World” that was first sung by David Bowie, and Muse’s “Feeling Good” were also featured in the top five.

June 19th, 2008

AFI’s 10 Greatest Films in Classic Genres. Do you agree?

Posted by: Belinda Goldsmith

raging-bull.jpgThe American Film Institute unveiled its list of the “10 Greatest Films in 10 Classic Genres” in a three-hour CBS Television Network special this week. A jury of 1,500 film artists, critics and historians named the following films as the very best in their genres but do you agree?:

2001: A SPACE ODYSSEY (Science Fiction) - CITY LIGHTSsnow-white.jpg (Romantic Comedy) - THE GODFATHER (Gangster) -  LAWRENCE OF ARABIA (Epic) - RAGING BULL (Sports) - THE SEARCHERS (Western) - SNOW WHITE AND THE SEVEN DWARFS (Animation) - TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD (Courtroom Drama) - VERTIGO (Mystery) - THE WIZARD OF OZ (Fantasy).

For a full list of the honorees in each category go to the AFI Web site.
 

June 17th, 2008

World TV viewers tune in for … “CSI”

Posted by: Belinda Goldsmith

bruckheimer.jpgCrime really does pay, according to the latest ratings for the world’s popular TV shows from Eurodata TV Worldwide. “CSI: Crime Scene Investigation” has again topped the list with the highest world ratings in 2007. “CSI,” which takes place in Las Vegas, drew 83.9 million viewers beating its sister show “CSI: Miami” and hospital drama “House” as the world’s most popular TV drama series.

(That’s Jerry Bruckheimer in the picture at left. His company produces the “CSI” shows.)

In the comedy category, “Desperate Housewives” attracted 61.5 million viewers, beating “Monk” and “Ugly Betty,” according to the ratings which take in viewers in 51 countries.

“The Bold and The Beautiful” with 26.2 million viewers worldwide in 2007 was the most popular soap, against two Mexican telenovelas “Destilando Amor” and “Marina.”

The same three programs came top of Eurodata’s list for the most popular TV shows in 2006.

June 12th, 2008

Move over Paris Hilton and Nicky, Mom is in a movie

Posted by: Belinda Goldsmith

kathy-hilton.jpgHaving a behind-the-scenes celebrity mom isn’t something Paris Hilton or her sister Nicky would know much about. Their mom, Kathy, seems to relish the  spotlight as much as her girls.

Having recently launched her own perfume and starred in a Web mini-series called “A Day With the Hiltons,” the 49-year-old Kathy Hilton has now nudged her way into Hollywood movies with a cameo appearance in Ben Stiller’s new summer comedy “Tropic Thunder,” playing Tom Cruise’s wife, according to In Touch Weekly.  

“She filmed last winter and didn’t even tell her kids because she wanted to surprise them,” a set insider told the celebrity magazine. “She raved about Tom,” said the insider. 

After filming “Tropic Thunder,” Kathy Hilton also shot a few episodes of daytime TV soap opera, “The Young and The Restless.” The older Hilton has been a sometime actress for years but not winning the same success as her girls. A reality TV show she hosted in 2005 called “I Want To Be A Hilton” flopped.

June 10th, 2008

Five word Webby winners

Posted by: Belinda Goldsmith

colbert.jpgIt’s become a tradition at the annual Webby Film and Video Awards, which honor the Web’s best videos, for winners to accept their prize with a speech of five words or less. At least it stops all that guff about mothers, mentors and meanings. So who said what at this year’s 12th annual awards and could you have done better?

- ”Five words is not enough,” said Lorne Michaels who received a Lifetime Achievement Award for his groundbreaking work with SNL Digital Shorts.

- “Keyboards are full of germs,” said director Michel Gondry of “Be Kind Rewind” who was named Webby Film and Video Person of the Year

- “Contact me for voice work,” said Tay Zonday of the viral video “Chocolate Rain.”

- “Please don’t climb our building.” NYTimes.com, “Frugal Traveler: American Road Trip” (Travel)

“Together, we’ll make reading obsolete.” The Onion News Network (Best Writing)

- “The revolution will be webcast.” - Getty Images (Documentary: Individual Episode)

-”Well, well, well, well, well.” My Damn Channel, “Wainy Days” (Comedy: Series)

-”Thank you very much. Good bye,” said comedy heroes Tim Heidecker and Eric Wareheim, who were named Best Actors for their cult hit timanderic.com.

A list of all speeches — it’s fairly brief – can be found at: http://www.webbyawards.com/press/speeche s.php.

Stephen Colbert, Arianna Huffington, David Byrne will tonight deliver their own five-word speeches at The Webby Awards, which honor the best Web sites.

June 5th, 2008

Thomas the Tank Engine’s new friend - Pierce Brosnan

Posted by: Belinda Goldsmith

brosnan.jpgPierce Brosnan, who played the world’s best known spy James Bond in four movies, has taken on a new role — the narrator of Thomas the Tank Engine. Brosnan, 55, follows in the footsteps of ex-Beatle Ringo Starr and  U.S. actor Alec Baldwin who previously narrated the children’s TV show. The Irish star makes his debut in the movie “Thomas and Friends: The Great Discovery,” a DVD being released on Sept. 9 by HIT Entertainment Ltd. and Lionsgate.

The creation of Reverend Wilbert Vere Awdry, Thomas the Tank Engine made his first appearance in the 1945 children’s book “The Three Railway Engines”. The  TV series was first broadcast in 1984 and has since been seen in 140 countries and 25 languages.

May 30th, 2008

Romantic or revolting? Best and worst movie pickup lines

Posted by: Belinda Goldsmith

cruise1.jpgNetwork Video, an Australian video retail company,  has come up with its list of the best and the worst move pick up lines.

Here’s the best…

1. ”We live in a cynical world. A cynical world. And we work in a business of tough competitors. I love you. You … complete me.”- Tom Cruise to Renee Zellweger in Jerry Maguire, 1996

2. ”Marry me, and I’ll never look at another horse.” - Groucho Marx to Margaret Dumont in A Day at the Races

3. ”I want to take care of you.” “Good … ’cause I really need to be taken care of.”
- Billy Bob Thornton to Halle Berry in Monster’s Ball

4. ”I want all of you. Forever. Every day.” - Ryan Gosling to Rachel McAdams in The Notebook

5. ”Mind if I get drunk with you?” - Clark Gable to Jean Harlow in Red Dust

6. ” I know what I want, because I have it in my hands right now. You.” - Gerard Butler to Hilary Swank in Ps I Love You

7. ”You came back to this bar to see me tonight, didn’t you?”"What if it wasn’t you I came here to see tonight?” “Well, ya’ got lucky.” - Paul Newman and Charlotte Rampling in The Verdict

And here’s the worst…                                                                                bonham-carter.jpg

1. ”You’re 38 and you look it” - Aaron Eckhart to Helena Bonham Carter in Conversations With Other Women

2. ”I appreciate this whole seduction thing you’ve got going on here, but let me give you a tip: I’m a sure thing.” - Julia Roberts to Richard Gere in Pretty Woman.

3.  “Are you stalking me? Because that would be super” - Ryan Reynolds to Tara Reid in Van Wilder.

4. ”I could find the whole meaning of life in those sad eyes.”- Nathan Fillion to Kerri Russell in Waitress

5. “You think I’m gorgeous … you want to kiss me … you want to hug me … you want to love me … you want to smooch me … ” - Sandra Bullock to Benjamin Bratt in Miss Congeniality

6. “You were hoping for a goodnight kiss?”"No, you know. I’ll tell ya, I was hoping to get goodnight laid…” - Matt Damon and Minnie Driver in Good Will Hunting

7. “Would you like to have breakfast with me?” “Sure, fine.” “Shall I phone you or nudge you?” - Mary Mcdonnell and Stephen Tobolowsky in Sneakers

What do you think was the best — or the worst — movie pickup?

May 28th, 2008

Has “Sex and the City” changed your dating habits?

Posted by: Belinda Goldsmith

sex-and-the-city-girls.jpgAlthough the TV series “Sex and the City” was a fictional account of four women’s working and love lives in New York, a majority of singles told a survey that it had influenced their dating habits.

A survey by dating Web site Engage found that eight out of 10 singles believe the popular HBO series that has now been made into a movie had made it more acceptable for women to have fun dating and worry less about finding a committed relationship.

The poll found 43 percent of singles believe the series had made it more acceptable for women to be unfaithful in their relationships while 55 percent of single women said the show influenced them to “date like men”.

“”Sex and the City,” along with the introduction of dating reality shows like ABC’s The Bachelor, socialize dating,” said Trish McDermott, vice president of Love at Engage, in a statement.

“Suddenly, everyone was talking about the dating choices others make — like breaking up via Post-It notes — and learning vicariously through them.”

The survey of 250 singles found 36 percent of respondents borrowed ideas from “Sex and the City” and used them in their dating life. Do you?